Oscar 2012 Best Presenters: Robert Downey Jr., Bridesmaids, More

Co-stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis make a hilariously musical entrance, while Sandra Bullock shows off some impressive German. By Terri Schwartz

Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow present at the 84th annual Academy Awards

Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

There are typically two kinds of presenters at the Oscars: the earnest and the hilarious. But every year, a handful of actors manage to capture the goal of either category in a way that makes the moment unforgettable.

But it was the presenters with the funny bits who really stole the show. Whether comparing short films to male genitalia or tossing cymbals onstage when they should have been reading out the name of an award winner, we couldn’t stop chuckling. Here, the MTV Movies team handpicks the five most memorable presenters of the 2012 Oscars.

Robert Downey Jr., Documentarian
Trying to stay ahead of the curve, Robert Downey Jr. and a camera crew joined Gwyneth Paltrow onstage to present the Best Documentary award in an attempt to popularize his new art form, “live documentary.” Of course, as Paltrow pointed out, that’s called the news, but we couldn’t get enough of their Tony Stark/ Pepper Potts-style banter several months before “The Avengers” hits theaters. And we like that Downey joked that he turned down the role in “The Descendants” with George Clooney looking on from the crowd.

Emma Stone Is Super Good
Yes, Emma Stone is charming, but we were still surprised at how well she pulled off the task of co-presenting Best Visual Effects alongside Ben Stiller. First-time Oscar presenter Stone acted out her skit flawlessly and even managed to poke fun at Stiller’s previous presenting stunts in the process. But it was her asking “Superbad” co-star Jonah Hill to come onstage and dance with her — and his subsequent refusal — that made this one of the funniest moments of the night.

Sandra Bullock Is “Extremely” Bilingual
Did you know Sandra Bullock was bilingual? It certainly made her presenting the Oscar for Best Foreign Film all the more fitting. And although the actress said she was going to present the award in Mandarin, Bullock actually announced the award in German. For those who wondered about the Academy’s motivation for having the “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” star present in a different language, it turns out it was because the Academy Awards “are an international show and because there are over 1.2 billion people in China.” So why not?

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis Make Music
Leave it to the stars of the upcoming political comedy “The Campaign,” Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, to make one of the funniest and most dramatic appearances of the night. Dressed in all-white tuxedos, the duo emerged from the orchestra pit smashing cymbals together. Because how else do you expect comedians to present the award for Best Original Song? Fortunately, winner Bret McKenzie also had a good sense of humor in his acceptance speech for “The Muppets” song “Man or Muppet.”

“Bridesmaids” Stars Toast Scorsese Again
Who else but the cast of “Bridesmaids” could make presenting the three short-film categories one of the most hilarious of the night? Sure, Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph’s whole opening spiel was one big penis joke, but can you expect any less when Melissa McCarthy earned her Oscar nomination for a part that featured her comically defecating in a sink? We’re still trying to figure out what the rules of Rose Byrne and McCarthy’s Martin Scorsese drinking game are, but we’ll let you know when we do.